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When it comes to music, I am very critical, I love listening to all types of music and don’t consider myself to have a favorite. But if I had to pick one dong as my favorite, I would have to say “Who’s Stopping Me” by Big Sean and Metro Boomin. This is one of the few songs I listen to all the way through. Sean starts off the song by sampling a Brazilian song entitled, “Clarão da Lua”, written by Nazaré Pereira. 

“O sol vive sem amor
Eu não vivo sem te ver
Quem chega na maré cheia é cantiga de bem querer”

Meaning:

“The sun lives without love
I don’t live without seeing you
The one in the high tide is the dear song”

When Sean says, “Shit sound like Narcos” (line 4) following Pereiras sample he is saying that the beat he is about to spit bars over has a Latin American sound, like the television show Narcos. The guitar and drums are also indicative of the show’s theme song “Tuyo” by Rodrigo Amarante. This song is in a way an Ode to Jhene Aiko, praising himself the entire song and then completing it by saying his girl is the only one above him.

Besides the catchy rhyme and the incredible instrumental what attracts me to this song is the self-boasting that is more lyrically proven than modern rap talking about how much money they have and the B**ches they have.

The song’s chorus rhythms every line with one another, it also has a punch line theme to it. Sean does not speak in full sentences and leaves a lot to interpretation. “Big dawg, autobiography”, Sean spells it as “dawg” which is a cultural spelling of dog, Big Dawg is a metaphor for his status. The punch line here is “autobiography” saying his life is so interesting and powerful he can have autobiography. “Make moves with the boy, no choreography” Sean says he “makes moves” as steps to move forward up in life with his “boys”, here the punchline is “no choreography” saying him and his “boys” do not practice this they are just naturally in sync moving as a unit. Sean goes on to say “At the top, my girl the only one on top of me” referencing he is number one and no one is above him and when someone is “on top” it is Jhene Aiko in a sexual interpretation.

In his second verse Sean say “This African-American express mixed with this Visa, Can get me in and out of anywhere I need to.”  Sean is referencing a line and term coined by Kanye West in his song “Last Call”. African American express is a nickname given to the famous American Express Centurion Card, also known as the Black Card, it is singularly given to wealthy personalities that meet American Expresses’ criteria. However, this is a double entendre. Not only is he referencing the American Express card and how his money can get him in and out of any store he wants… but he’s also saying that his race (African American) along with a Visa or passport can get him in and out of any country he wants.

In verse two Sean goes on to say:

“See I’m the type to get a check and invest it
Buy some land and protect it (whoa)
Live off the interest and give my family the rest (straight up)
And then start from square one on some first cigarette shit in a whole new direction”

Here Big Sean parades his financial prowess. In these lines, as I said before, Sean opposes the common theme in hip-hop culture to brag about cars, jewelry, women, etc. He works hard for his money, invests it, spends it wisely and takes care of his family, just to repeat the process again with the same hunger and drive he had when he was just starting out, never forgetting where he started. The adlibs to this verse are “Don, Don” which is a cultural reference to his social status. A Don is a slang term originating from a Spanish title given to the top dog or mafia boss. 

Big Sean’s “Who’s Stopping Me” is a masterpiece where Sean flexes his lyrical ability use of slant rhyme, syncopation, alliteration, metaphors and play on words to get his message across. He praises himself on the hard work he has done which is undeniable and avoids topics that most modern rappers address regarding their use of drugs money and women. 

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